TVIiANXID.K TIIK I'LVCATCUHltS. ;][;] 



Lictitiiiinut, ("oiicli (Icscrilics tlic Scisxor-tiiil iis sliy, but ul" n vcvv livoly 

 (lis|Misitinii. r.siiiilly lour nr iiimv mv sct'ii iii cniiipiiiiy, iiml scciii In iircl'cr 

 tlic thinly wiMiili'il imiirics to clnsc iliickcts. In hciuity, l-iculcnunt ( 'nucli 

 cnnsiilois it llio (luccn n\' all llic liii'ds Inund in Northern 'I'liiuiniiiiias. 

 Tliis snpcriority is not uwinu so niudi to the Inilliiini'y of its phiinii^'c, I'or 

 in thai it is cxci'llcil liy scvcial s|i('ci(?s, hnt to I lie ininiitiiiilc uiace and 

 charm ol' its lli^lit. liisiiiL; IVoni tlu' topniosl liranch of sonii^ acacia, it 

 sciMu.s t(} float, rather than to tly ; th. ■ ■' 'sccndinii ix^riifiidicularly, it retakes 

 its jposition, utteriny: its usual note. lie did not see it west of liie ( 'adereita. 

 !)r. Keiinerly, in his niarcii I'roni the (iulf of Mexico into Western Texas, 

 I'reiiuently met with those FlyciitehuVH alonji' his rmitu. lie usually saw them 

 in tho o]ieu prairie, or uniniiM; the nies(|uite-ltushes. When perched, they 

 were generally on the top of a hush or a tiill weed, and their tails were con- 

 stantly in motion. When they darted oil" after some passing insect, they 

 usually cireleil around, ilis])laying the .singular hifurcatioii of their tail, Imt 

 seldom uliuhtinj,' again on tl;(! same bush. It was occasionally seen on the 

 open jM'airie, ilyinti- for u long distaneo near the earth, as if in search of 

 insects. 



In ViH'a ("ruz this species is an inhabitant of tlie hot lands. A few in- 

 dividuals ascend, though very rarely, to the height of the city of Orizaba, or 

 about I?,?*)!) feet. 



]\Ir. Xuttall states that he met with this Flycatcher rather coniinon along 

 the banks of the Ited h'iver, near the eonthienee of the Kianieslui. lie 

 again mtit thorn, even more fre(|ucntly, near the (Ireat Salt IJivorof Arkansas, 

 in August. They soeuieil to l)o preying upon grasshoppers. 



])r. Woodhouse not only found this species abundant in Texas, in the 

 vicinity of San Antonio, but in the Indian Territory also it was (piite com- 

 nifin, ]iarticularly near the Cross Timt)ers. Ho found them breeding in tho 

 beginning of the month of July, on tho Groat I'rairie. Its ne.st was built 

 on the horizontal branch (jf a small scrub-oak, about six feet from the 

 ground, and was composed of cofirse dry grass and sticks. It contained 

 four young l)irds nearly able to lly. On his approach the I'emalo flew from 

 the nest to a bush near by. The male bird How to a groat height above 

 him, circling rouiul in the air, a])])arently watching his movements, find at 

 the same time uttering a coarse scolding chirp. 



Dr. (Jideon Lincocum, of Toxa.s, writes that the Scissnr-tail Flycatchers 

 have greatly increased in nundiers in that State since 1S48. They are 

 severe hunters of insects, and make great havoc among honey-bees. They 

 are exclusively jmiirie birds. Ho adds that they construct their nests far out 

 on the toji branches of the live-oak or any other lone tree on the ju-airics. 

 They seem to bo a very i)layti.l bird, and delight in shooting ra])idly up- 

 wards, cutting the air with their sti'ong wings with such force that the sound 

 may be heard to the distance of three hundred yards or more. Their notes 

 are harsh and inharmonious. They leave Texas late in autumn, and return 



vol.. u. 40 



